QSR1850/4/5/1/a

Joseph Neal, police constable of Carlton and Joseph Smith, whitesmith of Bedford, in the case of Jonathan Barker, chimney sweep, late of Olney, accused of stealing 2 iron shovels

July 1850

From: 1850 To: 1850

Joseph Smith: resides in Bedford but travels with iron shovels, tin bowls and other items for sale. On 18 July he lodged at the Mad Dog public house in Odell, run by Mr Wells. He stored his truck full of his wares in the stable. Next morning 2 of the 25 iron shovels were gone. The previous evening, Jonathan Barker had also been in the public house, leaving at dusk. Smith went with the Constable to search for the shovels, finding them in a haystack. Joseph Neal: on information received he charged the prisoner with stealing the iron shovels. Barker told him he had hidden the shovels in a haystack in Mr Well's barn. He later said that it was not him who had taken them but his boy. Neal went to the round house at Harrold where the accused was in the lock-up. He overheard the prisoner say to the boy, Henry Hine, that he should go before the magistrates next day and say that he had taken the shovels. The boy said no. The boy denied in the presence of the prisoner that he had taken them.Statement of the accused: Barker stated Mr Smith could not say he took the shovels.

item

Barker, Jonathan,
Neal, Joseph,
Smith, Joseph,
Hine, Henry

stealing, tools, ODELL, BEDFORD, CARLTON, chimney sweep, Odell Mad Dog, lock ups, HARROLD